Spring forming machine



March 9, 1965 w. F. EBY 3, 7 31 s ams FORMING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 q IlIlIll W Q INVENTOR. 14 4/2 87 if 2727,

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March 9, 1965 w. F. EBY 3,172,431

SPRING FORMING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

March 9, 1965 w. F. EBY 3,172,431

SPRING FORMING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent 3,172,431 PRING FQRMTNG MACHHNE Walter F. Eioy, Kitchener, Gntario, Canada, assignor to American Metal Products Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Feb. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 173,965 Claims. (Cl. 147l) This invention relates to wire-forming devices, and particularly to a device for forming a straight length of wire into a spring strip having oppositely disposed square loops of varying widths.

Sinuous strips have been employed in the art made of wire bent back and forth to have oppositely disposed semicircular loops joined by straight portions which function as torsion bars to provide a resistance to the deflection of the load-bearing area of the strip. Diificulty was experienced when attempting to obtain a proper contour to the deflected load-supporting portion, and this was overcome in the spring strips produced by the machine of the present invention by varying the widths of the loops of the strip. When the loops are narrow in width, having the torsion bars close together, a weakened area is provided in the strip and when wider in width a greater resistance to deflection was obtained. Further difficulty was experienced when attempting to produce such spring strips with loops of different widths for small production runs. The problem was somewhat simplified when it was found that straight parallel edge sections could be employed in place of the arcuate loop portions as this produced bending bars along the side edges of the strip which added to the contouring thereof when loaded.

In the present construction, a plurality of wires are supported in jaws which are movable laterally toward each other employed in combination with jaws which are movable therebtween and also later-ally into mated relation with the first said jaws. A base has a top plate reinforced by vertically disposed plates therebelow, the assembly being tilted forwardly against upright supports along the front and rear edges to have the top plate disposed at an angle of substantially 45. A rail is mounted near the bottom of the top plate against stop elements which locate the rail thereon. The inner edge of the rail has a T-shaped recess therein for receiving T-shaped heads on the ends of jaws about which the wires are bent. Rollers are provided at the base of the T-shaped recess in position to engage the ends of the T-shaped heads of the jaws to permit the jaws to be moved toward and away from each other with a minimum of friction. A similar rail is mounted on the plate in spaced relation to the first said rail having a plurality of rams attached thereto for moving the rail toward and away from the first said rail. The second said rail is similar to the first said rail having a recess for receiving the T-shaped heads of the forming dies and having rollers against which the heads abut.

The plurality of jaws disposed in the T-shaped slots are joined to each other by slotted links limiting the movement of the jaws outwardly to have them spaced a predetermined distance apart. The endmost jaws on the fixed rail are connected to rams which move all of the jaws toward the center of the rails by a pin and slot connection therebetween. The jaws of the stationary rail have slots in the forward portion thereof for receiving one or a plurality of straight wires which are to be formed. After the wires have been placed in the jaw slots, the movable rail is advanced to deflect the wires over the nested jaws which are aligned and alternately positioned relative to each other. Thereafter, all of the jaws are moved along the rails toward the center from opposite ends to form the wires about the jaws to a predetermined form. The angle of bend at the corners of the loops is greater than 90 to overbend to a degree to have a 90 angle between the ice corner wire portions after the strips are removed from between the jaws.

The end jaws of the rails are retained in predetermined relation by the interconnection of pins on the endmost jaws of the fixed rail with a slot in endmost jaws of the movable rail. This permits the jaws to be relatively moved by the rails toward each other into nested spaced relation, and moved thereafter along the rails toward the center jaws to form the wires thereabout. One set of rams moves the movable rail toward the fixed rail after which another set of rams moves the jaws from the ends of the rails toward the central jaws thereon to produce the forming operation. The slotted links which are secured to all of the jaws moves into nested relation during the forming operation and to extended position to space the jaws when moved from forming position. When a transversely disposed attaching end is to be provided on one or both ends of the spring strips, the endmost jaws may have a cam surface which engages a cam surface on an opposite jaw to angularly move the first said jaw and bend the end of the wire inwardly beyond a desired amount so as to have the end disposed transversely to the length of the spring strip when removed from between the jaws.

All of the jaws have vertical slots in the side walls which are in aligned relation providing a passageway for fingers which engage the wires between the jaws after they are formed and force the resulting spring strips therefrom. Thereafter the rams at each end of the jaws are retracted, moving the jaws of both rails to separated positions, the spacing of which is controlled by the slotted links. The movable bar is retracted to separate the rails so that additional wires may be placed in the slots in the jaws on the fixed rail.

The cycle of operation is controlled by an electric circuit containing micro switches along with a starter switch which energizes the motor of a pump which supplies fluid to the rams and also to a safety switch which stops the machine operation at any point in its cycle. A foot-operated switch is supplied for starting the operation of actuating the solenoid valve for producing a flow of fluid to the rams which advance the movable rail, after which a sequence valve is opened to produce a flow of fluid to the rams which move the jaws toward the center of the rails, thus completing the formed stage of the wires. At this point the fluid to the rail advancing rams and to the jaw advancing rams are reversed by a pressure switch. After the rail advancing rams retract approximately onehalf of an inch, they are stopped when a micro switch breaks contact. As the jaw advancing rams retract, they contact one of a pair of micro switches which energizes a valve solenoid to produce a flow of fluid to a ram which moves the fingers between the jaws for ejecting the formed wires located therebetween. As said one micro switch is of momentary contact, the flow of oil is reversed to retract the fingers. A micro switch is contacted by the returning rams to slow down momentarily their rate of return while the formed wires are being ejected. After the jaw advancing rams are returned to starting position, the pair of micro switches are closed to operate the solenoid to reverse the flow of fluid to rail advancing rams thus returning all of the elements to starting position.

The machine is so constructed as to permit the rams to be readily disconnected from the plates on the end jaws to permit the removal of the jaws from the rails so that an additional set of jaws interconnected by the slotted links may be inserted in the T-head slots of the rails. The rams are quickly reconnected to the plates on the endmost jaws and very little downtime of the machine will occur when changing from one form of spring strip to another. The jaw assembly is inexpensive and the downtime is insignificant for changing the jaws in the rails so 3 that the machine is adaptable for short runs of spring strips having different forms of loops.

Accordingly, the main objects of the invention are: to provide a spring strip forming machine which bends a plurality of wires about a plurality of jaws to form loops therein of predetermined configuration; to providea machine with jaws which. are relatively movable into nested relation and moved laterally into intimate relationship to form the same or different width of loops in one or a plurality of wires; to provide two groups of mated jaws interconnected by slotted links to regulate the spacing thereof when separated; to relatively move a pair of spaced rails toward each other to advance a plurality of jaws carried thereby into nested relation for deflecting a plurality of Wires disposed between the jaws and thereafter moving the jaws toward the center of the rails to bend loops in the wires and form spring strips which are removed from between the jaws by fingers advanced through mated slots therein; to provide the surface of a machine with afixed rail and a movable railhaving the facing edges provided with a T-shaped slot for receiving T-shaped heads on two sets of mated jaws one of which has slots for receiving a plurality of wires to be formed, the jaws being spaced from each other by slotted links permitting the jaws to be moved into nested relation and to forming position for shaping the wires thereabout into spring strips of exact configuration; and in general to provide a spring forming machine which is simple in construction, positive in operation and economical of manufacture.

Other objects and features of the novelty of the invention will be specifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring, for a better understanding of the invention, to the following description, taken in conjunction witn'the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front view, in elevation, of a spring forming machine embodying features of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of machine illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged plan view of the forming jaws of the machine illustrated in FIGURE 1, when in open position;

FIGURE 4 is a view of the structure illustrated in FIG- URE 3, when the jaws are in closed position;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged broken sectional View of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 1, taken on the line 55 thereof; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged broken sectional View of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 4, taken on the line 66 thereof.

The spring strip forming machine of the present inven tion embodies a top plate 10 supported upon a plurality of upright plates resting on bottom cross members 13 and 14. The top plate 10 is tilted to an angle of substantially 45 on a pair of channel base members 15 on which front uprights 16-of channel section and rear uprights 17 of similar section are secured. The center of the table has an elongated slot 18 on each side of which rails 19 and 21 are mounted. The rail 19 abuts a plurality of blocks 22 and is secured to the top plate 10 by a plurality of bolts 23. Each of the rails 19 and 21 has oppositely disposed facing edge plates 24 and 25 secured thereto by screws 26. The plates have aligned slots 27 disposed therein to form a T -shaped slot along the facing edges of the rails. Rollers 28 are secured by pins 29 to the plates 24 and 25 and form the bottom of the T-shaped slots 30 for engagement with the ends of T-shaped heads 31 of a plurality of forming jaws 32.

The rail 21 is connected to rods 33 of rams 34 which move the rail 21 toward and from the rail 19. Brackets 35 are mounted on'the top-plate 10 for journalinga shaft 36 thereon having pinions 37 near the ends disposed in engagement with racks 38 secured to the ends of the rail '21. The pinions,shaft and racks assure the advancement of the rail 21 in parallel relation to all of its positions. A

centrally disposed forming jaw 39 is fixed to the rails and the jaws 32 of the series each side thereof are moved from the ends of the rails toward the'central jaw after the rail 21 has been moved to its advanced position. The jaws on the rail 21 are disposed between the jaws on the rail 19 to have the jaws of both rails disposed in forming relation to each other when moved toward the center of the rails.

The jaw 41 at the left handend of the rail 19 has a projecting portion 42 to whicha stub shaft 43 is threaded and secured in position by a nut 44. The endmost jaw 45 at the right hand end of the rail 19, as viewed in FIGURE 3, has an extending portion 46 containing a projecting arm 47 to which the stub shaft .43 is secured by the nut 44. Both of the stub shafts are secured'in sleeves 48 by a transversely disposed pin 49 which extends through lon gitudinal slots 51 on the diameter of the sleeves. tub shafts 52 have a pin 49 therein extending through the slots 51 at the opposite end of the sleeves 48.. A 'T-shaped head 53 on the opposite end of the stub shafts 52 is releasably supported in a T-shaped slot in bosses 54 on the ends of the piston rods of rams 55 mounted at each side of the machine on suitable supporting structure.

The endmost forming jaws 56 and157 of the rail 21 have extensions 58 thereon containing a slot 59 through which pins 4t) extend which are secured to extending portions 42 and 46 of the jaws 41 and 45, respectively. Washers 50 on the pins maintain the extension 58 in contact with the extending portions 42 and 46.

An outer portion 60 of the right hand jaw 57 on the rail 21 is secured by a pivot 63 to the inner portion thereof and is urged in a counterclockwise direction by a spring .64. The rear of the jaw portion 60 has a cam surface 65 which engages a cam surface 66 on the extending portion 46 for rocking the jaw portion 60 and bending the ends of the wires being formed beyond a position at right angles to the length of wires so that the end will be in rightangular position thereto when the spring strips are removed from the jaws after the forming operation. The jaws are narrower at the base than at the outer ends over which the wire is formed in order that the torsionbar portions of the spring may be bent beyond right angle position to the wires so that the overbending will cause the torsion bars to assume a position normal to the axis of the spring strip after the formed spring strips are discharged from between the forming jaws. The jaws are of different width but of the same configuration and the width and the spacing'may be changed so as to produce loops of different widths and lengths. The jaws herein illustrated are by way of example to disclose how the spring strip is formed from a length of straight wire to have loops of difierent widths, depths and shapes with securing ends thereon.

Each of the jaws has a bolt 67 extending upwardly therefrom through a boss resting on the jaws. Each bolt extends through one or a pair of slotted links 68 which spaces the jaws when moved apart. The links slide over each other when the jaws are moved into wire forming relation and are the means for separating the jaws when the rams 55 are retracted moving the jaws from the position illustrated in FIGURE 4 to the position illustrated inFIGURE 3.

Each of the jaws has a slot 69 on.opposite sides thereof which are in mating relation providing apertures in which fingers7l may be advanced and retracted. The fingers are mounted on a bar 72 and areadvanced in the slots 6 to eject the formed spring strips from the area between the jaws when the jaws are in forming position. A ram 73 has a piston rod 74 secured to the end of a rack 75 and to the bar '72. Additional'racks 75 are secured to the bar 72 in engagement with a plurality of pinions secured on a shaft 77. The teeth of the pinions mesh with the teeth of the racks 75 and maintain the bar 72 parallel to all of its positions of advancement. Theforming jaws 32 onthe fixed rail 19 which have'the ends disposed in aligned relation, have fingers 78 secured thereto by suit able means herein illustrated as by screws 79 to form a wire receiving slot with the end of the jaws. A plurality of the wires to be formed into spring strips are placed within the slots and herein six wires are illustrated although a greater or less number can be simultaneously formed.

The wires are disposed in the slots when the rails 19 and 21 are in separated relation as illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 5. The endmost jaw 45 on the fixed rail 19 may have an extending finger 81 for supporting the ends of the wires located thereabove. The wires 82 are engaged by the forming jaws 32 on the movable rail 21 as it is advanced to deflect them inwardly between all of the jaws until the jaws are in aligned relation. Thereafter the rams 55 advance the endmost jaws 41 and 46 toward the center of the assembly carrying the endmost jaws 56 and 57 on the rail 21 along therewith due to the location of the pins within the slots 59.

All of the jaws are then moved laterally along the rails into abuted relation as the wires 82 are formed to the desired shape, as clearly illustrated in FIGURE 4. Thereafter the ram 73 is operated to advance the bar '72 and the fingers 71 through the mated slots 69 to engage the torsion bars 83 of the spring strips and force the strips out from the space between the forming jaws. Thereafter the fluid to the ram 73 is reversed to retract the fingers 71, the fluid to the rams 55 is reversed to separate the jaws and the rams 34 retract to move the rail 21 and the jaws 32 thereon away from the rail 19 to separated position as illustrated in FIGURE 3. This permits an additional set of wires to be placed in the slots formed by the fingers 78 so that the wire forming operation can be repeated.

The space provided between the pins 40 and the walls of slots 59 permits relative movement between the endmost jaws so that the wires can be formed therebetween and the jaw 51 rocked to have the ends 84 of the wires bent beyond a position normal to the axis of the spring so as to have the ends assume a normal position when the spring strips are removed from the jaws. By employing a T-shaped slot for securing the forming jaws 32 to the rail, the removal of the stub shaft 52 from the ram blocks 54 and the fingers 71 from the bar 72 permits a change to be made in the jaws and the fingers so that spring strips of various form and Width of loops may be obtained with a very little downtime to the machine. This is important as it permits the machine to be employed on short runs of spring strips as efliciently as for long runs thereof. A wiring diagram of the device has not been herein illustrated or described as it should be apparent to anyone skilled in the art that a very simple circuit will be required to produce the sequence of operation of the rams of the machine.

After the plurality of wires 82 are placed within the slots at the ends of the jaws on the fixed rail 19, a foot control switch 85 is actuated to operate a solenoid valve to admit fluid to the rams 34 which advances the rail 21 forwardly and moves the forming jaws 32 thereof into bending relation with the jaws 32 to initially deflect the wires between all of the jaws. When this occurs, a sequence valve is actuated for admitting fluid to the rams 55 to advance the jaws toward the center of the rails to form the wires about the jaws. A pressure switch reverses the flow of fluid for both sets of rams. A shoe 87 operates an arm 88 of a micro switch 89 to actuate a solenoid valve for momentary contact to admit fluid to the ram 73 which advances the bar 72 and fingers 71 to eject the formed spring strips from between the jaws. When the rail 21 is retracted approximately one-half of an inch, the contacts of a switch 90 are open and the movement of the rail stopped. The initial movement caused a shoe 91 to operate a micro switch 92 to speed up the flow a fluid to the rams 55 and move the jaws to separated and spaced relation as illustrated in FIGURE 3.

The retraction of the rams 55 causes the plurality of slotted links 68 to be engaged by bolts 67 to thereby separate the jaws 32 as the rams retract. When the rams 34 are retracted, by the closing of micro switch 86 the cycle of operation of the machine is terminated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a spring forming machine, a movable rail, a stationary rail, said rails being substantially parallel a plurality of forming jaws carried by each said rail for movement therealong; the jaws of one of said rails having a slot for receiving one or a plurality of wires to be formed, means for advancing the movable rail for moving the jaws thereon into aligned nested relationship with the jaws of the other rail for initially deflecting the wire, and means for moving the jaws along the rails toward the center thereof for forming the wires into predetermined shape.

2. In a spring forming machine, a movable rail, a stationary rail, said rails being substantially parallel a plurality of forming jaws carried by each said rail for move ment therealong, the jaws of one of said rails having a slot for receiving one or a plurality of wires to be formed, means for advancing the movable rail for moving the jaws thereon into aligned nested relationship with the jaws of the other rail for initially deflecting the wire, means for moving the jaws along the rails for forming the wires into predetermined shape, fingers between said jaws movable outwardly thereof for ejecting said formed wire, and means for advancing said fingers.

3. In a wire forming machine, a platform, a fixed rail mounted on said platform having a T-shaped slot in the edge thereof containing friction reducing means in the bottom thereof, a movable rail disposed in spaced substantantially parallel relation to said first said rail having a T-shaped slot in the edge thereof facing the slot in said fixed rail and containing friction reducing means in the bottom thereof, a plurality of forming jaws having T shaped heads mounted in said slots against the friction reducing means, means for advancing said movable rail to move the jaws thereof into nested relation with the jaws of said fixed rail for deflecting a wire disposed there between, and means for moving said jaws along the rails for forming said wire thereabout into predetermined configuration.

4. In a wire forming machine, a support, a fixed rail mounted on said support having a T-shaped slot in the edge thereof containing friction reducing means in the bottom thereof, a movable rail disposed in spaced substantially parallel relation to said first said rail having a T-shaped slot in the edge thereof facing the slot in said fixed rail and containing friction reducing means in the bottom thereof, a plurality of forming jaws having T- shaped heads mounted in said slots against the friction reducing means, means for advancing said movable rail to move the jaws thereof into nested relation with the jaws of said fixed rail for deflecting a wire disposed therebetween, means for moving said jaws along the rails for forming said wire thereabout into predetermined configuration, and means between said jaws for ejecting said formed wire from between said jaws while in forming position.

5. In a wire forming machine, a support, a fixed rail mounted on said support having a T-shaped slot in the edge thereof containing friction reducing means in the bottom thereof, a movable rail disposed in spaced substantially parallel relation to said first said rail having a T-shaped slot in the edge thereof facing the slot in said fixed rail and containing friction reducing means in the bottom thereof, a plurality of forming jaws having T- shaped heads mounted in said slots against the friction reducing means, means for advancing said movable rail to move the jaws thereof into nested relation with the jaws of said fixed rail for deflecting a wire disposed therebetween, means for moving said jaws along the rails for forming said wire thereabout into predetermined configuration, means for ejecting said formed wire from between said jaws while in forming position, means for retracting said jaws along said rails to move them into pre determined spaced relation, and means for retracting said movable rail.

6. In a wire forming machine, a platform, a fixed rail mounted on said platform having a T-shaped slot in the edge thereof containing a plurality of rollers, a movable rail disposed in spaced substantially parallel relation to said first said rail having a T-shaped slot in the facing edge thereof and containing a plurality of rollers, a plurality of forming jaws having T-shaped heads mounted in said slots against the rollers therein, means for advancing said movable rail to move the jaws thereof into nested relation with the jaws of said fixed rail fordeflecting a wire disposed therebetween, means for moving said jaws toward the center of the rails for forming said wire thereabout into predetermined configuration, and means for supporting said platform at a substantial angle to a horizontal plane.

7. In a wire forming machine, a base support, a fixed rail mounted on said support having a T-shaped slot in the edge thereof containing a plurality of rollers, a movable rail disposed in spaced substantially parallel relation to said first said rail having a T-shaped slot in the facing edge thereof and containing a plurality of rollers, a plurality of forming jaws having T-shaped heads mounted in said slots against the rollers therein, means for advancing said movable rail to move the jaws thereof into nested relation with the jaws of said fixed rail for deflecting a wire disposed therebetween, means for moving said jaws toward the center of the rails for forming said wire thereabout into predetermined configuration, and a pivot for mounting one of the endmost jaws on the T-shaped head thereof and provided with a cam surface matable with a cam surface on an opposite jaw which advances said one jaw about said pivot during the final movement of the forming operation for bending the end of the wire beyond a position normal to the axis of the formed wire.

8. In a spring forming machine, a platform, a fixed rail on said platform having a T-shaped slot in the edge thereof, a movable rail on said platform parallel to said first rail and having a T-shaped slot in the edge thereof facing the T-shaped slot in said fixed rail, a plurality of jaws having T-shaped heads mounted in the slots of both said rails, slotted links interconnecting the jaws of each of said rails, pins extending upwardly from the endmost forming jaws of the fixed rail, the endmost jaws of the movable rail having a slot therein through which the pins project, means for advancing the movable rail toward the fixed rail to have the jaws moved into aligned relation to each other, and means for advancing the jaws of the fixed rail and through the pin and slot connections advancing the jaws on the movable rail toward the center of the rails for forming the wire about said jaws.

9. In a spring forming machine, a platform, a fixed rail on said platform having a T-shaped slot in the edge thereof, a movable rail on said platform substantially parallel to said first rail and having a T-shaped slot in the edge thereof facing the T-shaped slot in said fixed rail, a plurality of jaws having T-shaped heads mounted in the slots of both said rails, slotted links interconnecting the jaws of each of said rails, pins extending upwardly from the endmost forming jaws of the fixed rail, the endmost jaws of the movable rail having a slot therein through which the pins project, means for advancing the movable rail toward the fixed rail to have the jaws moved into aligned relation to each other, means for advancing the jaws of the fixed rail and through the pin and slot connections advancing the jaws on the movable rail toward the center of the rails for forming the wire about said jaws, a bar disposed below said jaws, fingers on said bar movable between said jaws, and means for moving said bar to advance the fingers between the jaws for ejecting the wire formed thereabout.

10. -In a spring forming machine, a platform, a fixed rail on said platform having a T-shaped slot in the edge thereof, a movable rail on said platform parallel to said first rail and having a T-shaped slot in the edge thereof facing the T-shaped slot in said fixed rail, a plurality of jaws having T-shaped heads mounted in the slots of both said rails, slotted links interconnecting the jaws of each of said rails, pins extending upwardly from the endmost forming jaws of the fixed rail, the endmost jaws of the movable rail having a slot therein through which the pins project, means for advancing the movable rail toward the fixed rail to have the jaws moved into aligned relation to each other, means for advancing the jaws of the fixed rail and through the pin and slot connections advancing the jaws on the movable rail toward the center of the rails for forming the wire about said jaws, one of the endmost jaws on one rail being pivoted and having a cam surface, and a cam on the opposite rail engageable with said cam surface for rotating said jaw to further form the end of the wire thereabout.

11. In a wire forming machine, a platform, a fixed rail on said platform, a movable rail on said platform, said rails being substantially parallel, ram means for moving said movable rail toward said fixed rail, forming jaws releasably supported on said rails, means for spacing said jaws on said rails a predetermined distance apart, the jaws on one of said rails having a slot for supporting a wire to be formed which is initially bent when the movable rail is advanced to have the .jaws moved into aligned relation, and means for moving all of said jaws together on the rails for shaping the wire thereabout.

12. In a wire forming machine, a platform, a fixed rail on said platform, a movable rail on said platform, said rails being substantially parallel, ram means for moving said movable rail toward said fixed rail, forming jaws releasably supported on said rails, means for spacing said jaws on said rails a predetermined distance apart, the jaws on one of said rails having a slot for supporting a wire to be formed which is initially bent when the movable rail is advanced to have the jaws moved into aligned relation, means for moving all of said jaws together on the rails for shaping the wire thereabout, a bar beneath said jaws, fingers supported by said bar, and means for advancing said bar to move the fingers through the space between said jaws for moving the formed wire therefrom.

13. In a wire forming machine, a platform, a fixed rail on said platform, a movable rail on said platform, said rails being substantially parallel, ram means for moving said movable rail toward said fixed rail, forming jaws releasably supported on said rails, means for spacing said jaws on said rails a predetermined distance apart, the jaws on one of said rails having a slot for supporting a wire to be formed which is initially bent when the movable rail is advanced to have the jaws moved .into aligned relation, means for moving all of said jaws together on the rails for shaping the wire thereabout, a bar beneath said jaws, fingers supported by said bar, means for advancing said bar to move the fingers through the space between said jaws for moving the formed wire therefrom, one of said jaws being mounted in pivotal relation to the rail and having a cam surface, and a mating cam on the opposite rail for rotating said one jaw to further form the wire in contact therewith.

14. In a wire forming machine, a platform, a fixed rail on said platform, a'movable rail on said platform, said rails being substantially parallel, ram means for moving said movable rail toward said fixed rail, forming jaws releasably supported on said rails,'means for spacing said jaws on said rails a predetermined distance apart, the jaws on one of said rails having a slot for supporting a wire to be formed which is initially bent when the movable rail is advanced to have the jaws moved into aligned relation, means for moving all of said jaws together on the rails for shaping the wire thereabout, said spacing means 9 10 being slotted links, and pins in said jaws extending into References Cited by the Examiner slots in one or a pair of said links. UNITED STATES PATENTS 15. In a wire forming machine, two sets of forming jaws, means for moving said jaws into aligned nested rela- 2,744,546 5/36 Wllhams 140-71 XR tion and toward each other when in nested relation, slotted 5 218841962 5/57 f 140 71 links for interconnecting each set of jaws for spacing the 3,104,685 9/ 63 Gonla et a1 140-71 jaws a predetermined distance apart when the end jaws are moved away from each other, and pin and slot con- CHARLES LANHAM necting means between the end jaws of the sets to main- RICHARD A WAHL, WILLIAM R PURDY,

tain the jaws of the set in predetermined relation to each 10 E a i other when moved from aligned nested relation.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,172,451 March 9, 1965 Walter P. Eby

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 6, lines 8 and 19, after "parallel", each occurrence, insert a comma; same column 6, line 10, for "therealong;" read therealong,

Signed and sealed this 27th day of July 1965.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Altesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. IN A SPRING FORMING MACHINE, A MOVABLE RAIL, A STATIONARY RAIL, SAID RAILS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL A PLURALITY OF FORMING JAWS CARRIED BY EACH SAID RAIL FOR MOVEMENT THEREALONG; THE JAWS OF ONE OF SAID RAILS HAVING A SLOT FOR RECEIVING ONE OR A PLURALITY OF WIRES TO BE FORMED, MEANS FOR ADVANCING THE MOVABLE RAIL FOR MOVING THE JAWS THEREON INTO ALIGNED NESTED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE JAWS OF THE OTHER RAIL FOR INITIALLY DEFLECTING THE WIRE, AND MEANS FOR MOVING THE JAWS ALONG THE RAILS TOWARD THE CENTER THEREOF FOR FORMING THE WIRES INTO PREDETERMINED SHAPE. 